Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-01-06
,rhe rEorrors ocst. Lazare.

Sec0nd-ct1sS RdtteT.l
The Horrors ofSt. Lazare.
Lord Colin Campbell it will be remem-
bered, attempted to have his wife impris-
oned at st. Lazare during her last stey in
Paris. This institution is the house Of ccr-
rection for the ''women on town." In Paris,
as in every other European capital except
London, vice is publicly tolerated By tbe
government and subject 10 L certain kind Of
legislation. It has its special prison, which
is that of St. Lazare, and IFS specisl police,
who are known by the name oi "Agents de
Moeurs.n Every woman on town." and
Heaven only knows how numerous they are,
| is forced TO take out d special license some
thing like that of hack driver, which is
called a 'Iivret" The latter has 20 be
countersgned once @ week by the police
surgeon OF the district. ANY woman
caught plying Der unhappy trade without
liyret, or one which has not 6eea duly
signed during the eight previous days, may
be arrested on the public street, either by
day or by night, without any special war
rant being needed for the purpose. The PC
lice are even authorized to examine tena-
ment.houses, lodging houses, and the infer
ior class OF hotels in order 10 discover if the
lady inmates are ail provided with their duly
signed livrets The deinquents. after
spending the night in the cells, ara taken
off early the next morning in the "Panler
Salade, ~ ss the police van is termed, to the
| St. LaZare prison, IN order TO spend there
| the three TO six mouths TO which they nave
been condemned Immediately on their ar
rest by the "Commissaire de Police" on day
or night duty at ths police station &c which
they were first conveyed when arrested.
Every now and again ''raflles" or kinds Of
hunts are organized by the police. Ere
quently Of an evening, sitting after dinner
in front of the Cafe Richie on the Boulevard
des Italiens, have watched the women of
the town paradiDg up and down ine bril-
liautly lighted streets in search Of human
prey. On the whole, they are much better
behaved than the London women of the
same class, whose vice is rendered addition
ally revolving by their drunkenness aad in
tolerable vulgarity IL the streets. Suddenly,
towards eleven o'clock, just as the people
are cor.ing out of tho theatres. Tho scene
changes. Screams, shouts and cries are
heard, and the whole Of the band, whc
minute ago were strutting slowly up and
down like peacocke displaying their plum
age, rush by in wild flight, raniuding ore
of animals escaping from g prairie fire, Be-
hiud them are the pursuers. a more ign0'
bie-ooking lot OF men i5 is impossible to
conceive. No man, however poor, who has
any atom OF self-respect ieft will ever accept
the office OF agent de Moeur5," and con-
seGuently their ranks arc recruited eXc!u-
siyely fron The criminal classes aud from
the very yiiest of the vile. Receiving g
maximum weekly pay Of Sc, they naturally
IL. rl- to-
terrible extent. Their conduct towards the
latter is simply indescribable in these hunts.
They strike the poor creatures with their
heavy fists ard clutch hold of them by their
hair, treating them as if they had 30 veatigc
of humanity remaining No one interieres.
for the notion Of passing night ia police
cell and being arraigned the next morning
before the magistrate foc preventing the
police from doing their duty to any
particular unfortunate is not very agreea-
ble
may add that in addition to the women
of the class above described, wives convict
eG of infidelity are, on the demand of the
husband, imprisoned for terms ranging from
three to twelve months. It is, however,
only fair to add that only the lower classes
ever GAUGE their wives 10 be submitted TO
this iadignity, and that have never heard
of { case where any man of society or posi-.
ton has caused his wife to be condemned TO
such an infamy. That Lord Colin should
have for one moment thought of causing the
grand old rt.descended Argyll family
to figure 10 the annals OF the ST. Lezare
Prison is simply incredible.
While writing these lines singularly sad
story comes back to my mind, which was
related me couple of years ago at Vienna
by the Prince de B, secretary of the
French embassy there. The Countess de
c. belonged to one OF the noblest and
most wealthy families Of France. 4 leader
of fashion and the mother of three lovely
children, no breath Of scandal had ever tar
nisheG her reputation. On enc occasion she
was under the necessity OF forbiddiUg her
house to s. foreigner resident in Paris. The
person in question, who had until then con-
sidered bimself as being altogether irresisti-
| BILE. and had been accustomed TO more facils
| conquests, left her vowing to be revenged.
A few weeks later she happened TO dine st
the house of her mother.in-law, whose resi-
dence was Just across the street, in sight Of
her own. At ten o'clock she put OF her
wraps, bid goodnight, and absolutely rs-
fused to be accompanied by q servant,
laughingly adding that, as she could see
the very moment she got outside the
door the light in her husbands library,
it was not worth while. She had not
got half way before sae was suddenly
seized very roughly BY two disreputable-
looking men. one of whom exclaimed
"Where is your livret?" The poor count
esq, utterly paralyzed wish fright, did not
know what to reply, whereupon the two
men, shaking her roughly, began to lead
her off to the police depot. Al length Sue
found words to cry, But am the Countess
de c.. There is my house; ring the beii
aad ask the servants. There is my mother.
in-law's house, where l have Just been d.a